Family Weekend
Family Weekend will be held from Friday, October 4, 2024 through Sunday, October 6, 2024.
You are invited, but not required, to register for Family Weekend. This is so we have an idea of how many families to expect. Registration is completely free.
Register for Family Weekend 2024
You can ONLY order your Family Weekend apparel in advance until August 16 so get your order in!
Apparel Pre-Order
Come back after Family Weekend to view our photo gallery.
Schedule of Activities, 2024
Friday, 10/4
6 p.m.
Women's Hockey vs. the University of Vermont
Cheel Arena
8:30 - 9:50 p.m.
Open Skate
Cheel Arena
Saturday, 10/5
8 a.m. - 9 a.m.
The Clarkson School Family Reception
Price Hall Second Floor Lounge Area
8:30 - 10 a.m.
Honors Family Reception
Cheel Barben Rooms
9 a.m.- 12 p.m.
Hiking Trip to Stone Valley with Clarkson University Outing Club (Sign Up)
Riverside Apartments Parking Area
9 a.m.- 2 p.m.
Potsdam Farmer's Market
Ives Park
10 a.m.- 1 p.m.
Ignite Dorf Makerspace Showcase (ERC Makerspace) Everyone is a Maker! Create your Golden Knight keepsake in the Dorf Maker Space!
10:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Meet and Greet with the Parent and Family Association
Snell Atrium
11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Picnic on the Patio with Clarkson Dining
ERC Tent (Student Center, if rain)
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Clarkson Family Pumpkin Painting with Diversity & Inclusion
Cheel Lawn or Student Center Concourse
1 - 2 p.m.
Campus Feud Game Show
Forum
1 - 3 p.m.
Legacy Family Welcome Table
Mainstreet Cheel
2 p.m.
Women's Soccer vs. William Smith College
Hantz Turf Field
2 - 3 p.m.
Lil Knights take on Family Weekend
Cheel Arena
Register your grade 8 and under child here.
3 p.m.
Women's Hockey vs. University of Vermont
Cheel Arena
5 - 7 p.m.
Food Truck Mania
Cheel Lawn
7 p.m.
Men's Hockey vs. Michigan Tech
Cheel Arena
10 - 10:45 p.m.
Open Skate
Cheel Arena
Sunday, 10/6
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Breast Cancer Awareness 5K
Leave from Student Center, Rain Location IRC
BCA 5K Registration Form $5 race registration
BCA 5K T-shirt Sale $15 per shirt
11 a.m.
Women's Rugby Senior Game vs. SUNY Oswego & Tau Epsilon Phi concession stand to benefit Morgan's Message
Tony & Karen Collins Rugby Field
12 - 1 p.m.
Dr. Jim's Chemistry Magic Show
Science Center 360
2 - 3 p.m.
SPEED Team Demonstrations
Cheel Lawn (IRC Rain)
3 - 4 p.m.
Jazz Ensemble Concert
Student Center Forum
4 p.m.
Men's Hockey vs. Rochester Institute of Technology
Cheel Arena
Registration and Attendance
A: You are invited, but not required, to register for Family Weekend. This is so we have an idea of how many families to expect. Registration is completely free! Register here for Family Weekend 2023.
A: Many students will not have families visiting during Family Weekend for various reasons. Fortunately, Family Weekend events provide entertainment for all students, regardless of whether or not a family member can accompany them. They will be just fine and will be in good company with many of their friends during the weekend.
A: Most weekends at Clarkson are chock-full of events and activities for you to enjoy with your student like athletic games, outdoor activities, local restaurants, and community events. With four colleges in the area, there is always something to do! You also won't have to worry as much about lodging, traffic/parking, and crowded local restaurants during most other weekends.
Schedule
A: A printed schedule will be available for you at the Student Center Desk when you arrive for Family Weekend.
A: Don't worry, we don't expect you to attend every Family Weekend event! We hope you will enjoy picking and choosing from the various types of events and activities so that you can best enjoy the weekend with your student.
A: Family Weekend, as a whole, is completely free! Specific meals and activities, like the hockey games, may require a fee for entry/tickets.
Lodging
Overnight accommodations in the area include well-recognized chain hotels, quaint bed and breakfasts and family owned motels, as well as Clarkson's subsidiary hotel, the award-winning Clarkson Inn.
The following resources will give you all the information you need on dining, lodging, shopping and more in the Potsdam and North Country areas:
A: Unfortunately, our small community does not have enough lodging to support every family member during peak visiting times. Many families get creative by finding campgrounds, private home rentals, Airbnb rentals, or looking outside the area for lodging.
A: We offer complementary RV parking on a first come first serve basis and a Campus Parking Release is required prior to parking on campus. Please email osl@xyschool.net for more information.
Hockey Tickets
A: We are usually close to being sold-out for *seated tickets* for both games by mid-October. Students have exclusive access to purchase Family Weekend hockey tickets at www.clarksonathletics.com/tickets through the first week of October. We will have *standing room tickets* that will go on sale 90 minutes before the game and it is very unlikely that those tickets will sell out. Questions? Please call the Ticket Office at 315-268-7750.
A: Students get in to the Friday night hockey game for free with their Clarkson ID, but not the Saturday night hockey game. On Friday night, students who get in for free must stay in the student section only. Family members may join students in the student section, but it should be noted that students typically don't sit in this section - they stand! The Pep Band will also be playing in the student section (which is very loud). If you would like to sit with your student outside of the student section on Friday night, they and you must purchase a ticket. Both students and families must purchase tickets for the Saturday night game.
Tickets are exclusively available for students for Family Weekend starting Monday, September 16th at 2pm. ET until Monday, September 30. At that point ticket sales will open to the public. Reserved tickets are $15 each and Standing Room tickets are $10 each.
A: Tickets are available using your Student account at clarksonathletics.com/tickets. In order to purchase tickets during this exclusive period you must log in under the Student/Faculty/Staff option and use your Clarkson login.
A: Friday night there is a student section, but there is no student section Saturday and students DO NOT get in for free. Although there is a student section Friday, if you want a guaranteed seat with your family you will need to purchase a ticket for yourself as well.
A: Due to minimal availability of reserved seating available you will be allowed FOUR tickets per game during the exclusive buying period. If you desire more than four tickets per game, please reach out to tickets@xyschool.net. Each request for more than four tickets will be handled on a case by case basis. There is no guarantee your request will be approved and if there are tickets available after the exclusive buying period you may purchase additional tickets then.
A: When purchasing tickets online you will have 2 options, E-ticket or Will Call. The E-ticket option will allow you to receive your ticket immediately. From there you can print the tickets out or send them to your mobile device. When you arrive the night of the game we can scan your printed ticket or the ticket on your phone. The Will Call option will leave your tickets at Will Call and those tickets can be picked up at the Cheel Arena Box office during business hours with a valid ID. There is a $2 convenience fee per transaction for all tickets left at Will Call.